Package containing article with delicate surface



July 22, 1958 J. c. BoARDwAY 2,844,471

PACKAGE CONTAINING ARTICLE WITH DELICATE SURFACE Filed April l2, 1957 United States Patent() PACKAGE CONTAINING ARTICLE WITH DELICATE SURFACE Johanna C. Boardway, Claremont, N. H.

Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,473

2 Claims. (Cl. 99-171) This invention relates to an improved packing for delicate articles such as cakes, pies and the like which may have fragile or sticky surfaces. It is desirable that the wrapping used to protect such articles when transported be kept from contact with the surfaces of the article enclosed so that the surfaces will not be marred by the wrapper.

The invention is exemplied in the following description in a package containing a frosted cake. The frosting of such cakes should not be touched by the wrapping since the wrapper is apt to press against the frosting and deform it. If the frosting is sticky, as it often is, it will stick to the wrapper and pull away from the cake when the wrapper is removed, thus spoiling the appearance of the cake.

According to the present invention, a number of broadheaded pins are used, as hereinafter described, to hold the wrapper from contact with the cake.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the drawing, of which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a package, embodying the invention, a portion being broken away to show in section;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the pins employed;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a clip;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of parts of a package, including a pie pan; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of parts of a modified form of package.

A package embodying the invention is illustrated in Figure 1. This package comprises a receptacle for a body of soft, shape-retaining material, such as a cake, pie, or other article of food stuff, which receptacle may be in the form of a metal cake pan, a metal pie pan, a paper plate, or any other open container.

Figure 1 shows a receptacle consisting of a metal cake pan having a at bottom or supporting portion 10, with an uptnrned margin 12 which forms the vertical or nearly vertical sides of the pan. 'Ihe upper edge of the margin 12 is curled to form a bead or rim 13. A cake 14 rests on the at support and usually projects up above the rim 13. A Wrapper 16 which is of flexible sheet material, preferably transparent (e. g., polyethylene), covers the top of the cake and the sides thereof, the margins of the wrapper being secured to the receptacle by any suitable .means such as spring clips which may be similar to that shown at 20 in Figure 3. Before the wrapper 16 is applied to the cake, spacing pins 22 are inserted in the surface of the cake. As illustrated in Figure 2, each of these spacing pins may consist of a light plastic material and may have an elongated thin shank 23 which is pointed at one end and which has a broad head 24 at the other end. This head may be at or convex and may have a circular con- ICS tour or any other shape of contour that may be desired. The pins 22 are thrust partially into the cake at intervals so that they project a substantial distance from the surface thereof. They are suitably spaced so that they will hold the wrapper 16 clear of the surface of the cake as illustrated.

The margins of the wrapper 16 are turned under the clips 20 and are clamped to the rim of the container as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The clips are each made of a strip of spring metal or a synthetic resin such as an acrylic plastic having a straight portion 30 and a bent-back end portion 32, part of the latter being near the straight portion 30 when clip is unstressed. The margin of the wrapper 16 is tucked into the loop between the end portion 32 and the straight portion 30 of each clip and the clip is then thrust into the receptacle so that its straight portion 30 rests against the inner surface of aside wall 12 and the bent back portion 32 is sprung outward 'by the rim 13 so that the margin of the wrapper is pinched between the rim and the bent back portion 32 of the clip. This secures the wrapper in place by clamping the margin at intervals all around the periphery of the receptacle.

Other means for securing the margins of the wrapper 16 can be employed as desired. For example short strips of scotch tape or the like 40 may be attached to the margins of the wrapper 16 and also to the sides of the receptacle in which the cake or other article of food is placed.

The plastic pins 22 hold the wrapper spaced at all points from the top and sides of the cake 14 so that there is no contact between the wrapper and the cake itself. Since the Shanks of the pins 22 are thin, the punctures they make in the surface of the cake are not noticeable or objectionable.

A fragmentary showing of a pie pan with a wrapper attached thereto is in Figure 4. The pan has a bottom 10 with a top rim 13 on which clips 20 may be mounted to secure the margins of the wrapper 16.

While the invention is hereinbefore described in terms of a cake, it should be evident that the invention applies also to pies, salads, and other materials which can support pins 22 when the latter are thrust part way thereinto.

I claim:

l. A package comprising a flat ysupport with uptnrned margins, a body of soft, shape-retaining material resting on said support, a iiexible wrapper covering the top and sides of said body and extending to said margins of the support, a plurality of pins with heads of substantial diameter partially inserted in the top and sides of said body at spaced intervals and arranged to hold said wrapper out of contact with said body, and removable means securing said wrapper to said margins.

2. A package comprising a receptacle having upturned margins, a cake resting on said receptacle, a plurality of plastic pins with thin Shanks and broad heads partially inserted in the top and sides of said cake at spaced i11- tervals, a thin exible wrapper covering the top and sides of said cake and spaced from the surface thereof by said pins, and clips clamping said wrapper to said margins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,214 Frost Mar. 12, 1935 2,106,425 Grant Jan. 25, 1938 2,206,635 Hays et al July 2, 1940 2,452,629 Bonekamp Nov. 2, 1948 

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A FLAT SUPPORT WITH UPTURNED MARGINS, A BODY OF SOFT, SHAPE-RETAINING MATERIAL RESTING ON SAID SUPPORT, A FLEXIBLE WRAPPER COVERING THE TOP AND SIDES OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDING TO SAID MARGINS OF THE SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF PINS WITH HEADS OF SUBSTANTIAL DIAMETER PARTIALLY INSERTED IN THE TOP AND SIDES OF SAID BODY AT SPACED INTERVALS AND ARRANGED TO HOLD SAID WRAPPER OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID BODY, AND REMOVABLE MEANS SECURING SAID WRAPPER TO SAID MARGINS. 